Foreign
More than 20,000 illegal immigrants rescued off the coast of Libya since the beginning of 2022-
International Organization for Migration
– The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that a total of 20,842 have been rescued and returned to Libya so far in 2022.
The rescued migrants include 19,075 men, 1,089 women and 678 children, the IOM said.
In addition, 514 migrants were killed and another 865 went missing off the Libyan coast en route to the Central Mediterranean, the IOM added.
In 2021, a total of 32,425 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to Libya.
Libya has been suffering from insecurity and chaos since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred departure point for illegal migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.
Rescued migrants end up inside overcrowded reception centers in Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers. ■
(Xinhua)
